Volkswagen unveils pickup concept

For almost a decade, we've been hearing about Volkswagen's entry into the pickup truck market. It began with the AAC, which turned into the precursor to the Touareg when it reached production. After the AAC, Volkswagen remained largely silent on the topic though the rumours persisted. It wasn't until early this year when Volkswagen decided to publicly announce that a Volkswagen pickup is back on the table.

It seems all those Toyota Hilux test mule photos were meant to really distract us from the fact that Volkswagen actually had another Japanese maker in mind. The Concept Pickup, as it is currently called, looks decidedly like the Honda Ridgeline. Good thing or bad, you decide but one thing for sure, it looks miles better than the Ridgeline. The grille to the headlights are all quintessential Volkswagen of late and actually fits the schnoz of the Concept Pickup perfectly. The massive wheel arches and bars alongside the bed are nice touches. The Concept Pickup's design is perhaps one of Volkswagen's best yet. Engine choices are not set in stone yet however expect a mix of gasoline and diesel power plants mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6- or 7-speed DSG.

It is important to note that the Concept Pickup is designed to for emerging markets, specifically South America. Whether we see this in North America is unknown (though conventional wisdom dictates that it should do well here). More information should be coming this week.

More photos after the jump.

Source: Autoblog